The HUX Report Vol 11: Understanding Door Styles (Part I)

When it comes to the look of your bespoke joinery, choosing the correct door style for your scheme is one of the most important design decisions you will have to make. With so many door design styles to choose from we will be running a series of 3 newsletters focusing on different themed doors, kicking off this week with contemporary and classic door fronts in a paint finish.

Spray Paint Shaker MDF

Shaker style doors are arguably the UK’s most popular style of door; they are incredibly versatile and can be tailored to complement a variety of decors. A simple, timeless look, Shaker doors are defined by a flat centre panels and a framed edge detail that sits proud of the door. Shaker doors look fantastic throughout the house and are especially popular in kitchens. We make contemporary shaker doors from MDF, which are ideal for a spray paint factory finish.

Shaker With Inset Beading

This is an excellent choice for all styles of home but is particularly suited to homes with a nod to tradition. Where the Shaker is simple and versatile in its simplicity, the beaded develops the shaker character with a little bit more refinement. Adding an inset beaded moulding softens its lines and gives it a delicate, classic look and makes the cabinetry detail more intricate. It is a more expensive option as it increases the manufacturing cost and decorating labour.

Applied Beading

An applied beading is a moulding applied to a flat door, to create a decorative pattern on the door. Applied beading adds a touch of elegance and sophistication to your custom cabinet design. Again this is a more traditional look.

Micro Shaker 

If you’re looking for a modern design, but still fancy the shaker look, then why not go for micro shaker doors, which are having a real moment now. The design is for a much thinner frame detail (from 15-40mm) around a flat centre panel. Micro Shaker is a beautifully modern take on a Shaker-style door, with a clean and minimal profile, creating a spacious and refreshing look. We make these doors in either a timber veneer or a paint finish. 

Deco Shaker

Our Deco shaker door combines a micro shaker door with a stepped inset detail, bringing a touch of art deco glamour to your kitchen or dressing room. You can either go for a simple single inset detail all around the frame, or layered insets at stepped heights. The principle is similar to a beaded shaker door, however here the shaker frame width is reduced and the inset detail is a squared-edge profile unlike a more traditional decorative or rounded beading.

Hand Painted Traditional Shaker

The traditional construction method for a shaker door is to make the door from five pieces, using a hardwood “rail and stile” frame, with either a solid timber raised and fielded panel detail or a flush inset panel made from veneered ply. Both lend themselves well to a more traditional timeless style and we would typically recommend a hand paint finish for this construction. More expensive to fabricate as they are made from solid timber, these doors will stand the test of time.

Painted Flush (Slab) Doors

Also known as slab doors, flat doors are a go-to choice for contemporary interiors, as they are low-maintenance, budget-friendly and work exceptionally well with integrated fingerpull details.

A calming simple design, slab doors offer a huge amount of versatility as they can work in almost any setting regardless of style. We always recommend finishing slab doors in a spray paint factory finish.

Grooved MDF Painted Doors

If you are looking for a way of making a spray paint slab door more interesting then this is the answer. Using a sequence of different vertical thicknesses we create a 3d look which gives real architectural interest. Great for providing a dynamic, eye-catching way of introducing detail, whilst also using sharp lines to provide a clean and fresh finish. This design comes with an integrated handle detail.

The panelling does not have to follow vertical lines. This 3d square panelled wall conceals both an internal door to the room and a double set of doors that open to reveal a TV.

Panelled Doors

Panelled doors do not have to follow a strict full frame pattern. A key trend we are seeing is incorporating discreet storage into a panelled wall design, where we mirror the pattern of wall panelling across the door design.

Glazed Doors In A Painted Frame

Add some glamour to your cabinetry by integrating some glazed doors into your scheme. Clear glazed doors have long been a popular element of shaker style kitchens:

Whereas a more contemporary trend is to use either smoked or ribbed glass:

On our Part II HUX report we will be looking at the range of options available in a timber / veneer finish. And we finish the series with a look at high performance laminates, liquid metal, metal detailing, fabric inserts and other specialist finishes.